Feeding and stacking machine



1962 R. ULLMAN ETAL 3,066,826

FEEDING AND STACKING MACHINE Original Filed 001:. 2, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 4, 1962 R. ULLMAN ETAL 3,0

FEEDING AND STACKING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 2, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 4, 1962 R. ULLMAN ETAL FEEDING AND STACKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Oct. 2, 1956 United States Patent Office meme,

3,066,826 FEEDIIQG AND STAQKING MAQHHNE Robert Ullmau, Harrisburg, Henry F. Farina, Palmyra,

John M. Middleton, Harrisburg, Glendon H, Schwalm,

York, and Russell is. Tritt, Lemoyne, Fa, assignors to AMP incorporated, a corporation of New .lersey Original application Get, 2, 195a, Ser. No. 613,416, new

Patent No. 236L027, dated Nov. 26, 196i). Eivliled and this application Nov. 3%, i959, Ser. No. 45,344

7 lliairns. ll. 221-475} This invention relates to feeding and stacking machines, and more particularly to a machine operable successively to supply electrical components, such as resistors, diodes, or the like, in predetermined orientation for subsequent operations in the preparation of the components for assembly on a printed circuit board. These subsequent op erations and the machinery for their performance may be as described, for example, in our copending application, Serial No. 613,416, filed October 2 1956, now Patent No. 2,961,027, issued November 20, 1960, of which this application is a division.

The variety of types and the range of sizes of the electrical components desirably utilized in circuitry assembled by printed circuit techniques is very great. To utilize best the printed circuit technique, the assembly machinery should be automatic to the extent economically feasible.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a machine for stacking and feeding electrical components which has a wide range of adjustment, quickly and simply, and which is inexpensive to manufacture and foolproof in operation.

Details of the invention and of an exemplary machine embodying the principles thereof, as well as the advantages and efficient operating characteristics of the machine, are set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the drawings accompanying the same and comprising a part thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the machine according to the present invention which arranges components from a random mass into an orderly stack and ejects the components successively from the stack;

FiGURE 2 is a plan view of the arranging means illustrated in FIGURE 1, only the forward portion of said means being illustrated in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the means shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional vertical elevation taken on the line on of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-43 of FIGURE 2;

FiGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view showing two relatively adjustable elements comprising guide chutes and embodied in the arranging mechanism illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal sectional view of part of the mechanism shown in FlGURE 1 and taken on the line '77 of said figure;

FiGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line of FXGURE 7 to illustrate certain details of the mechanism shown in FIGURE '7;

FiG RE 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 9 9 of FEGURE 7 for purposes of illustrating further details of the mechanism shown in FIGURE '7;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line iiil of FIGURE 1, and illustrates details of means for discharging components from the lower end of a stack thereof in the arranging mechanism shown in FIGURE 1;

FEGURE 11 is a vertical sectional vi w taken on the 2 line l7-li of FIGURE 10 and illustrating details of the discharge mechanism shown in the latter figure; and

FlGURE 12 is a horizontal View taken on the line 12-12 of FIGURE 3 and illustrating still further details of the discharge mechanism.

With reference to the drawings, the feeding and stacking device includes a hopper 39 of which a number of commercial types are available, the specific hopper illustrated herein being of the type which is provided with a spiral shelf 4d fixed to the inner walls thereof which extends from the lower portion of the hopper to the upper edge thereof. Said spiral shelf terminates at its upper end adjacent passage forming means 42. Passage forming means 42 comprises a stationary, substantially horizontal plate 44 having a vertical flange 46 affixed to the inner edge thereof. A second plate 48, having a substantially vertical flange 49 affixed to one edge thereof is adjustably supported by plate 44' to provide an exit channel fill, the width of which is adjustable to accommodate preferably the longitudinal passage therethrough of a single component, although a sequential row of such components may be moved along the passage 5ft if the length thereof is suficient to accommodate a plurality of such components, depending particularly upon the length of the bodies of the components.

The hopper unit 39 is provided with suitable means such as vibrating mechanism, not shown, which functions constantly to move components up the spiral shelf to the exit passage 50 and along said passage to shifting mechanism '52, shown in the upper right-hand corner of FIG- URE 1 and the lower right-hand corner of FIGURE 2. Said shifting mechanism comprises a plurality of adjustable and angularly related chutes which function to shift the longitudinal succession of components passing through the exit channel 5% into a stack thereof in which the components are arranged one above the other and parallel to each other.

Referring particularly to FlGURES 1 through 3, 5, and 6, it will be seen that the shifting mechanism 52, in the preferred construction of the invention, comprises a supporting chute 54 within which a plurality of longitudinally adjustable chutes so and 58 are mounted. These chutes are best shown in FIGURE 6. The outer end of chute 58 is longitudinally slotted as shown at so for purposes of permitting the trailing lead of a component 20 sliding down said chute to drop therethrough, as shown by the arrow in FIGURE 1, after the body of said component abuts a shifting chute 62 which is supported at a lower level than chute 54' and extends in an opposite sloping direction thereto, as clearly shown in FIGURE 1.

it will be understood that after the component leaves the exit channel 59 from the hopper 39, each component slides preferably by gravity down the adjustable chutes 5'6 and 58, the leading lead thereof passing through a slot 64 which extends upwardly from the lower end of shifting chute so for a substantial portion of the length thereof as shown in FlGURE 1. The leading end of the body of the component 2t will come to rest against the walls of the chute (i2, and the slot fill in adjustable chute 53 will permit the trailing lead of the component to fall therethrough and thus shift the position of the component from that shown in full lines in FEGURE 1, progressively to the various positions shown in broken lines in said figure, such shifting involving a somewhat pivoting movement of the leading lead of the components shown in full lines in FIGURE 1 about the shifting pin or show in FIGURES l and 3.

Shifting pin 66 is supported by an adjustable arm 63 in order to accommodate the pin to operation with components having leads of various lengths, it being understood, of course, that when the machine is operating upon any particular type of component, all of the components will have similar bodies and similar lengths and diameters of lead. However, the entire machine is adjustable to accommodate components within a relatively wide range of diameters and lengths of bodies, as Well as a similar range of diameter and length of leads.

After the components 2i have been tilted or shifted by the chute 62 from the direction in which they were received by said chute from chute 65$, said components sequentially slide down chute 62 until the then leading lead of each component passes through a slot in abutment plate 68 which extends upwardly from one of a pair of stacking members 70 and 72 The then leading end of the component Ztl contacts abutment plate 63 to stop further longitudinal movement of the component from chute 62. The component then is positioned relative to shifting pin 66 so that the trailing end of the component will fall clear of said pin and permit said trailing lead to be disposed in slot 74- formed in plate 76 which is connected to the upper end of. stacking member 72.

When the machine is operating with components of relatively small size, it is desirable to use the adjustable chute 58 and, if the components, for example, have relatively very small diameters of leads, it is desirable to change the chute 58 for one having a slot 6% of suitable size to most efiiciently accommodate such small diameters of leads. Further, when the machine is operating with components having larger sizes of bodies, the adjustable chute 58 may be eliminated simply by frictionally sliding the same relative to the lower end of fixed chute 56. As will be seen especially from FIGURE 6, suitable shallow recesses 78 are formed in the undersurfaces of the lower end portion of chute 55 for purposes of accommodating the upper end of adjustable chute 58, the latter frictionally sliding against said recesses 78 when longitudinal adjustment is being effected between chutes d and 58.

Also, if desired, the slot 64 in shifting chute 62 may be adjusted in width for purposes of more efficiently adapting the same to operation with components having leads of various diameters, such adjustment being made possible by any suitable conventional means, not shown, such as a tightening screw.

The stacking members 70 and 72 are similar to each other and each comprises a pair of relatively transversely adjustable guide members 8d and 32, the facing surfaces of said guide members being complementary to each other and of a saw tooth shape as best shown in FIG- URE 3. Said saw tooth surfaces cooperate to form a zig-Zag passage in each of the stacking members 70 and 72. The opposite leads of the terminals respectively are received in the zig-zag passages 8dof the stacking members 7i and 72 and said passages cooperate to insure downward movement by gravity of the successive components while said components remain substantially horizontal until they abut the upper end of a stack of such components extending upward from the lower end of said stacking members.

In order that the stacking members 76 and 72 may accommodate similar components of a relatively wide range of lengths and diameters of bodies, as Well as a suitable range of different diameters of leads, the guide members 8d and 82 of each of the stacking members 70 and '72 are adjustable laterally relative to each other as viewed in FIGURE 3, in order to vary the width of the zigzag slots 84 in each of the stacking members suitably so that a passage will be provided which freely permits descent of the leads by gravity. However, the width of the passages 84- should be adjusted to a dimension not very greatly in excess of the diameter of the leads, whereby one lead will not tend to race ahead of the other lead and thus destroy the substantially horizontal position of the components while descending the zigzag passages 84. Various types of adjusting means to permit the varying of the width of passages 84 may be used and l one which is found to be highly successful is illustrated in the drawings.

The specific adjustment mechanism for varying the width of the slots as illustrated herein, comprises supporting plates 86 which are L -shaped as shown in FEGURE 7, one of said plates being provided for each of the guide members 32 of the two stacking members 7d and 72. A transverse channel is formed in the outer face of the parallel, outwardly projecting legs of the L-shaped members 86. Said channels respectively receive guide tongues 99 which extend perpendicularly to outer L-shaped members 92, said guide tongues being slidable longitudinally within the channels and are held within said channels by overla ping plates 94 which are connected by suitable screws or the like to supporting plates 86. If desired, the guide tongues 96 may be slotted to receive locking screws 96.

Adjustable guide members 86 are fixed by screws 98 to the inner surfaces of outer L-shaped members 92 as shown in FEGURES 1 and 7, whereby said guide members 559 move with the members 92 when said members are adjusted laterally relative to the supporting plates 8-5. Such adjustment is effected by a pair of rotatable thumb screws ltlt'l which are anchored to the outer L- shaped members 92 by means clearly illustrated in FlG- URE 7 so as to prevent relative longitudinal movement of said screws relative to said plates when the screws are rotated. The inner ends of said screws respectively are threaded into the outer ends of the parallel portions of supporting plates 85, as also clearly is shown in said figure.

The stacking members '70 and 72 also are transversely adjustable relative to each other as viewed in FIGURES l and 7 in order that bodies of components 2t} of different lengths may be accommodated between said stacking members. For effecting such adjustment, the adjustable guide members 39 and 32 of each of the stacking memers 7t and 72 are movable as a unit with the L-shaped supporting plates 86 and the outer L-shaped members 92 of each of said units. Said units each are provided with internally threaded sleeves M2 fixed respectively to said units by screws 1634 as shown in FlGURE 7.

Each of the units to which the internally threaded sleeves 162 are connected is guided for sliding movement relative to a base plate 1% which is supported by brackets 1% respectively fixed to a pair of spaced upright members lltl comprising part of the frame of the machine. Said members are best shown in FIGURES l and 3. The base plate ltl is provided with a plurality of slots 112, through which attaching abutments on the internally threaded sleeve members 102 extend for guided movement of said units. Such guiding of the units is accomplished by any suitable means such as a pair of parallel channelled bars 114 which are fixed to base plate as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 8. Complementary flanges are formed on said units for slidable reception by the channels of said guide bars to prevent separating movement of the units from the base plate 166 as is shown from FIGURE 8.

Adjusting shaft 116 is rotatably supported by a pair of bearing blocks 5.13 which are fixed to the rear surface of base plate 1% adjacent opposite ends of the shaft 116 and longitudinal movement of the shaft relative to said base plate is prevented by a key JlZtl fixed to base plate res and extending into annular groove 122 formed in shaft 216. The shaft File is provided with portions which are oppositely threaded, respectively left-hand and right-hand, so as to be complementary to the oppositely threaded interiors of sleeves N2, whereby, when said shaft 116 is rotated, the units which support respectively the stacking members 763 and 72 will be moved simultaneously either toward or from each other, depending upon the direction of rotation of shaft 116. Such rotation is effected readily by a manually operable crank 124 shown in FIGURE 1.

a sence Under circumstances where the components being handled by the machine are relatively small or otherwise of light weight, as compared with larger and heavier components which also may be handled by the machine when suitable adjustments are made, it is sometimes found desirable to facilitate the passage of the leads of such lightweight components down the passages 84 in the stacking members 76 and '72 by providing vibrating units, not shown, on the several units of which the stacking members 70 and 72 respectively comprise a part. Many types of commercial vibrators are adaptable for said use and the same usually may be attached to said units and connected to a suitable power source, such as by an electric conduit, particularly where the vibrators are of the magnetic type. Usually, however, no such additional vibrators are necessary with components of average or larger size.

The length of the composite stacking members 70 and 72 is sufiicient that they will accommodate a substantial stack of components within the zig-zag passages 84 thereof. The rate at which components are fed to the exit channel 59 preferably is adjustable and may be regulated so that a steady flow of components through said channel to the stacking members maintains a stack of suitable quantity of said components within said stacking members as the components successively are discharged from the lower end thereof.

To effect such discharge of components, the guide members 82 of each of the compound stacking members 7t) and 72 support at the lower end thereof a pair of spaced guide fingers 126 which accommodate therebetween the bodies of the components 20 as the lowermost component in the stack reaches the position in which the leads extending from the component rest upon the spaced guide fingers 126. A pair of spaced ejecting blades 128, best shown in FIGURE 10, are reciprocated in unison to engage the leads of the components 29 to eject said endmost component in the stack from the outer end of the guide fingers 126.

The pair of ejecting blades 128 each have a guiding and actuating extension 139 which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of the stacking members 70 and 72. The lower end of each of the guide members 82 of said stacking members is provided with a recess comlementary to the preferably square or rectangular crosssectional shape of the guide members 130 and said rccesses are closed at the bottom by cover plates 132. Forward or ejecting movement of the ejecting blades 123 is accomplished simultaneously by the rear ends of the guide members 131 being contacted by the lower end of a pivoted plate 134 which is wide enough simultaneously to engage both of the members 33% as shown particularly in FIGURES ll and 12.

The upper end of the plate 13 is connected pivotally .o the rear surface of base plate 1% by a pivot pin 1%. Further, the blades are held in resilient connection with the lower end of plate 13 i by a pair of tension springs 133, thereby insuring that when the plate 1 is moved rearwardly from base plate 195, the biades a will be retracted thereby. Movement of the lower end of plate 13 is effected by means of a bell cranlc pivoted at and comprising arms 142 and 144. A link is connected pivotally at its opposite ends respectively to the outer end of arm 142 and a lug 148 carried by the rear face of plate 134. The arm 11 4 of the bell cr nk preferably is longitudinally slotted for purposes of receiving a connecting pin by which one end of an actuating linl; 152 is connected thereto adjustably to permit adjustment of the movement of blades 3128. "this link is illustrated fragmentarily in FEGURE 3, and is connected for oscillation to a power source not shown, which operates in timed sequence according to the design of the machinery in conjunction with which the present apparatus may be utilized.

We claim:

1. Mechanism operable to arrange similar electrical components each having a body and a lead projecting in axial alignment from opposite ends thereof, said mechanism comprising in combination, a hopper arranged to hold a batch of said components and having discharge means operable to admit for exit a series of said components in longitudinal sequence, shifting means receiving said components in longitudinal sequence from said discharge means comprising a plurality of oppositely tilted troughs at different levels below said discharge means and operable to tilt said components successively in opposite directions while moving by gravity along said troughs to dispose said components in sequence one'above-the-other and substantially parallel to each other, and substantially vertical stacking means arranged to receive said thus arranged components successively from the lowermost trough of said shifting means and operable to guide said components downwardly to the top of a stack of components extending upward from the lower portion of said stacking means, said stacking means including means operable to guide said components for movement along a path transverse to the axes thereof into said stacked relationship substantially parallel to each other.

2. Mechanism operable to arrange similar electrical components each having a body and a lead projecting in axial alignment from opposite ends thereof, said mechanism comprising in combination, a hopper arranged to hold a batch of said components and having discharge means operable to admit for exit a series of succeeding components movable longitudinally in sequence through said discharge means, shifting means receiving said components in longitudinal sequence from said discharge means and operable to tilt said components while moving to dispose the same in sequence one-above-the-other and parallel to each other, stacking means comprising a pair of members extending downward from said shifting means and spaced apart to receive the bodies of said components therebetween, said members having slots respectively arranged to receive the leads of said thus arranged components from said shifting means and operable to guide said components downwardly to the top of a stack of components extending upward from the lower portions of said stacking members while maintaining said components substantially parallel to each other, and means adjustably supporting said stacking members to permit varying the space thcrebetween to accommodate components of a range of similar lengths, said slots also being variable in width to accommodate components having leads of a range of similar diameters.

3. Mechanism operable to arrange similar electrical components each having a body and a lead projecting in axial alignment from opposite ends thereof, said mechanism comprising in combination, a hopper arranged to hold a batch of said components and having discharge means operable to admit for exit a series of said components in longitudinal sequence, shifting means receiving said components in longitudinal sequence from said discharge means and operable to dispose said components into sequential arrangement one-above-the-other and substantially parallel to each other, a pair of longitudinally slotted stacking members extending downward from said shifting means and arranged to receive therebctween from said shifting means the bodies of said thus arranged components, said slots of said members respectively receiving the leads of said components to guide said components downwardly to the top of a stack of components extending upward from the lower portions of said stacking members while maintaining said components substantially parallel to each other, and ejecting means operable adjacent the lower ends of said stacking members and including plunger means operable sequentially and transversely to said stack to engage the leads of the lowermost component in said stack and discharge said component therefrom.

4. A feeding mechanism for electrical components having an elongated body with a lead Wire extending from each end comprising a hopper for receiving a batch of random oriented components and having a feed track along which components are moved endwise, the exit end from said hopper of said feed track being generally horizontally directed and adjustable in width to pass endwise only a single component, a slide chute communicating with and inclined downwardly away from said exit end, stacking means including a pair of adjustably spaced vertical guide members for receiving therebetween the bodies of the components, similar zig-zag slots extending the length of said guide members, orienting means inter posed between said slide chute and said stacking means for receiving the components from said chute and delivering them in horizontal disposition to said slots, said slots being adjustable in width, and escapement means intermittently operative to eject the lowermost component from said stacking means.

5. A feeding mechanism for electrical components having an elongated body with a lead wire extending from each end comprising a hopper for receiving a batch of random oriented components and having a feed track along which components are moved endwise, the exit end from said hopper of said feed track being generally horizontally directed and adjustable in width to pass endwise only a single component, stacking means including a pair of adjustable spaced vertical guide members for receiving therebetween the bodies of the components, similar zigzag slots extending the length of said guide members, transfer means interposed between said feed track and said stacking means for delivering the components in spaced sequence and in horizontal disposition to said slots, said slots being adjustable in width, and escapement means intermittently operative to eject the lowermost component from said stacking means.

6. A feeding mechanism for electrical components having an elongated body with a lead wire extending from each end comprising: feeding means including a feed track for receiving a batch of random oriented components and delivering them endwise and horizontally disposed one at a time to the exit end of the feed track; a

slide chute communicating with and inclined downwardly away from said exit end; stacking means providing a spaced pair of similar zig-zag slots; transfer and orienting means interposed between said slide chute and said stacking means for receiving the components endwise and tilted from said chute and for delivering the components horizontally in spaced sequence to the stacking means, said transfer and orienting means including a stop for arresting endwise and forward movement of the components and shifting means communicating with said slots and arranged to drop the components substantially horizontally in the receiving end of said slots; and escapement means intermittently operative to eject the lowermost component from the other end of said slots.

7. A stacking device for delivering elongated articles in a feeding mechanism to an escapement device comprising a pair of supports, each support including a pair of spaced and opposed plates having overlapping flanges along one side, two pairs of guide members carried by the pairs of plates with a guide member being carried by each plate respectively, the guide members of each pair of plates being constructed and spaced to define a zigzag slot therebetween, means to adjust the overlap of said flanges to control the spacing of the guide members on the associated plates, the slots of the pairs of guide members being opposed for receiving the ends of the elongated articles, and means to move the pairs of guide members relatively toward and away from each other to adjust the spacing therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 847,863 Watts Mar. 19, 1907 1,623,066 Nordstrorn Apr. 5, 1927 1,958,248 Runk May 8, 1934 2,047,021 Friden July 7, 1936 2,369,785 Kuehlman Feb. 20, 1945 2,445,958 Lindstrom July 27, 1948 2,752,028 Moskowitz et al June 26, 1956 2,836,947 Day et al June 3, 1958 2,858,930 Aidlin Nov. 4, 1958 2,893,009 Bergsland et al. July 7, 1959 

